Film tourism: celebrity involvement, celebrity worship and destination image

Abstract

Film tourism is a growing phenomenon worldwide. Previous studies have attempted to examine the relationship between celebrity involvement and destination image in film tourism, though the mechanism underlying this relationship remains a black box. The purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between celebrity involvement and destination image, and to clarify the role of celebrity worship for film tourists. A quantitative method is adopted to examine the hypotheses, and by applying multiple regression analysis. Questionnaire data from 390 Taiwanese purposeful film tourists indicate that celebrity involvement is positively related to destination image. Furthermore, celebrity worship mediates the relationship between celebrity involvement and destination image. The findings contribute to understanding this specific type of film tourist, and especially the role of celebrity in their image, motivations and decision. Research implications suggest that celebrity and film can be an effective promotional tool to induce these specific film tourists.

Keywords:

• TV dramas
• purposeful film tourists
• popular culture
• Hallyu
• destination marketing

Acknowledgements

This research is supported by a grant from the National Science Council of Taiwan, ROC, under the contract NSC-99-2410-H-025-013-SSS. Thanks are also extended to the anonymous reviewers for their valuable suggestions and comments.